1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, system, method, and computer program product capable of creating an operation definition file in which is described operations for setting items with respect to an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
When image forming apparatuses are shipped, it is necessary to set various kinds of setting data for various kinds of setting items for each model. A large number of conventional technologies for setting various kinds of setting data of the setting items in image forming apparatuses are known (for example, see Japanese Patent No. 3704246 and Japanese Patent No. 3784717, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-334047).
Considerable time is required to set the setting data for the setting items for each model. Moreover, there are high chances of making an error in the setting operation. The following conventional method is available to take care of these drawbacks. That is, setting data of setting items to be reflected in image forming apparatus is set in a sequence file; the sequence file is stored in an external storage medium, such as a SD card, that is prepared for the number of image forming apparatuses; the external storage medium is communicably connected to a corresponding one of the image forming apparatuses; and a process application is started so that the setting data stored in the sequence file in the external storage medium is set at one step in the image forming apparatus. The process application is an application program, which is operated in the image forming apparatus, used for reflecting the setting data stored in the sequence file in the external storage medium in the image forming apparatus.
When the image forming apparatus is shipped from distributors, for example, sales companies, sales agents, remote-based service locations, overseas manufacturing plants, or the like, the manufacturer of the image forming apparatuses receives, from a distributor, a request for creating a sequence file together with a setting instruction based on the specifications for the image forming apparatus to be shipped. Then, the manufacturer creates a sequence file, in which setting data based on the setting items and the setting instruction is described, saves it in an external storage medium, and sends the external storage medium to the distributor. Thereafter, the distributor activates a process application on the image forming apparatus side to reflect the setting data on the basis of the sequence file stored in the external storage medium and then ships the image forming apparatus.
However, when the sequence file is created at the manufacturer, the person in charge of creating the sequence file is often required to confirm distributors, such as sales companies, sales agents, remote-based service locations, overseas manufacturing plants, or the like, and the specifications, i.e., content of the setting, for the image forming apparatus for a shipment. This process is time taking and troublesome.
Furthermore, because the process is time taking, a setting operation of the image forming apparatus using such a sequence file can be performed with a shipment volume of about up to only 100 units.
Therefore, when the image forming apparatuses are shipped by the distributors, such as sales companies, sales agents, remote-based service locations, overseas manufacturing plants, or the like, a method that allows a setting operation to be performed by distributors only by themselves is thus desired.